Things to do — Western Parks

In Las Vegas over 2-3 days: Strip — evening stroll (4.3 km), Bellagio fountains (every 30 min, free, must see at least once), Mirage volcano (free, evening only), Venetian canals (gondolas $39), Caesars Palace antiquity, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay Shark Reef aquarium. Casinos: Caesars Palace, Bellagio, Wynn, Cosmopolitan, MGM (rare access fees but gambling halls accessible, drink 1 cocktail/2h to stay). Shows: Cirque du Soleil (8 permanent residencies: O at Bellagio, Mystère at Treasure Island, KÀ at MGM, Michael Jackson One at Mandalay Bay, Beatles Love at Mirage — $80-200), magic (David Copperfield at MGM, Penn & Teller), resident concerts (Adele, U2, Bruno Mars, Sting), boxing (T-Mobile Arena), NHL Vegas Golden Knights (October-April, $50-300), NBA Vegas Aces WNBA. Activities: SkyJump Stratosphere (130 m jump, $130), Big Apple Coaster New York-New York, helicopter Grand Canyon from Vegas ($250-450/person). Excursions: Hoover Dam (45 min, $30 dam tour), Red Rock Canyon (35 min, red canyon, hikes), Valley of Fire State Park (1h, spectacular red formations).

At Grand Canyon South Rim over 2 nights: Viewpoints along Desert View Drive — Mather Point (sunrise), Yavapai Point + Yavapai Geology Museum (interpreted panorama), Grand View Point, Moran Point, Lipan Point, Desert View Watchtower (1932 Mary Colter tower). Hermits Rest viewpoints (10 km, free shuttle, limited private vehicle access in high season) — Hopi Point (sunset), Pima Point, Hermits Rest. Hikes: Rim Trail (easy, flat, 21 km along the rim), Bright Angel Trail (canyon descent, possible 4-12 km u-turn at 1.5 Mile Resthouse or 3 Mile Resthouse — never descend to Bottom and return same day, several deaths each year), South Kaibab Trail (more spectacular descent but without water and shade, Ooh Aah Point 1.5 km good u-turn). Activities: mule (Bottom of the Canyon with Phantom Ranch overnight, $600-900/person, 6-month-ahead booking), helicopter flyover ($200-350 from Tusayan), Colorado rafting (3-21 days, $1,500-5,000/person, 1-year-ahead booking). Accommodation: El Tovar Hotel (1905, most historic, $280-450), Bright Angel Lodge (cabins $150-280), Yavapai Lodge, Maswik Lodge. Outside park: Tusayan motels $100-200/night, Williams (Route 66 gateway, 1h south) motels $80-150.

At the Colorado Plateau (Utah parks + Page + Monument Valley) over 5-7 days: Page (Arizona) — Antelope Canyon Upper (more accessible $70-90 with mandatory Navajo guide) or Lower (narrower, photographic, $70), Horseshoe Bend (free, Colorado horseshoe bend, $10 parking, 1.5 km on foot), Lake Powell (kayak, boat tour $100-200). Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park — 17-mile scenic loop drive ($10 per vehicle, without guide or with Navajo 4x4 tour $80-150/person 2h30, John Ford Point, Mittens Buttes), Goulding's Lodge ($250-400 with mesa view). Moab — base for Arches National Park (Delicate Arch 5 km hike, Windows Section accessible trail, Landscape Arch, Devils Garden) and Canyonlands (Island in the Sky for panoramas, iconic Mesa Arch sunrise). Capitol Reef (en route between Moab and Bryce, 2h, calmer and more authentic). Bryce Canyon — Sunrise Point + Sunset Point (essential sunrise), Navajo Loop (2 km loop in the hoodoos), Inspiration Point, Bryce Point, Rainbow Point (28 km drive to the end). Zion National Park — mandatory free valley shuttle (April-October), iconic stops Court of the Patriarchs, Zion Lodge, The Grotto, Weeping Rock, Temple of Sinawava (The Narrows start), hikes Angels Landing (8 km, vertiginous with chains, mandatory lottery permit 2024), The Narrows (Virgin River walk, 8 km bottom-up or 26 km top-down), Observation Point (12 km, plunging view).

At Yellowstone over 4-5 days (separate trip): Upper Geyser Basin — Old Faithful (jet every 90 min, 30-55 m), Castle Geyser, Grand Geyser, Beehive Geyser, Morning Glory Pool. Midway Geyser Basin — Grand Prismatic Spring (unreal colours, plunging view via Fairy Falls Trail 1 km). Lower Geyser Basin — Fountain Paint Pots. Mammoth Hot Springs — white limestone terraces. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone — Lower Falls (94 m), Upper Falls, Artist Point, Inspiration Point. Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley — wildlife observation (bison, elk, wolves, grizzly and black bears, pronghorn antelope). Lake Yellowstone (largest alpine lake in North America) — boat, kayak. Norris Geyser Basin — Steamboat Geyser (world's tallest, irregular). Accommodation: Old Faithful Inn (1904, magnificent, $250-400, 6-12 month booking), Lake Yellowstone Hotel ($300-500), Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Canyon Lodge.